Revelation iii, 21.

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne; even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."

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What can we make of this text, unless we understand the saints that persevere to the end reigning with Christ on earth ?— As it is afterwards expressed by them; "Thou hast made us unto our God, kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth." On which our new Annotations confess; that this may signify "the prosperous times of the Church under christian kings and emperors, Dan. vii, 27, and Ps. xxxvii, 11- For the meek shall inherit the earth;' and Matt. v, 5. 'Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."" This must signify a state to come; for not only is the expression in the future tense, but experience shows us, that in past times the meek have not inherited the earth, but have been sorely disturbed and distressed in it.

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Further, it is granted here by Christ himself, (which is deeply to be considered,) that, as the God-Man, he hath not hitherto sat upon his own throne, but upon his Father's throne. The highest heaven of glory is apparently the Father's throne, as it is often expressed in the Old Testament ;P and there Christ is now:9 but the time is to come when Christ must have a throne of his own, on which, together with him, those that overcome shall sit.

Revelation, Chapters xviii, xix.

Note first Chapter xviii, 2—“ Babylon is fallen, is fallen:" for whether we understand new Babylon, figuratively so called, viz. Rome; or old Babylon, properly so named; neither of them have so fallen, as is described in the following verses of this chapter. Nor are verses 4 and 6 yet fulfilled, wherein the people of God are commanded, saying, Reward her, even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double; according to her works, and the cup which she hath filled, fill to her double ;" for the people of God have not yet rewarded either old or new Babylon at all, but "she glorifies herself, and lives deliciously;" P Ps. XI. 4; Isa. lxvi. 1, &c. q Col. iii. 1.

• Rev. v. 10.

(v. 7) yea, and oppresseth the people of God. Nor is verse 8 yet fulfilled; that her plagues have come in one day, viz. "death, and mourning, and famine, and utter burning." Nor verse 9, "that the kings of the earth, that have committed (spiritual) fornication, and lived deliciously with her, shall "bewail her, and lament for her, seeing the smoke of her burning;" for generally they rejoice with her, and for the glory which she has at this day. Nor verses 11—19, viz. "the mourning of the merchants over her destruction;" neither verse 20, the rejoicing of the holy apostles and prophets over it, mentioned again also in the first seven verses of the nineteenth chapter. In which last passage, the coupling with the judgement on the great Whore the declaration, that "the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready," clearly relates to the first resurrection, wherein all the saints, rise; so that the ruin of Babylon, and the raising of the saints, immediately concur with the sorrow of the one, and the triumph of the other. Once more, from the eighth verse of the nineteenth chapter to the end of the chapter is not fulfilled; viz. of the glory of the Church, of the glorious appearance of Christ, and of the corporal destruction of all whatsoever that take part against him and his Church.

But these things, as sure as Christ is the Truth" and the "Faithful Witness," must be fulfilled, and before the ultimate general judgement; for after that Christ lays down "all rule, and all authority and power," &c. as so often has been observed.

CHAPTER IV.

THE PERSONAL APPEARING OF CHRIST TO HIS CHURCH AT HER RESTAURATION ON EARTH.

It appears to be of so much importance to shew, that the Lord Christ will personally appear, at least in the clouds, at the time of the Restauration of his Church and at the beginning of the Millennium, that though it has been plainly expressed in some places already handled, and may be gathered from most of them, it will be useful to treat of this point in a distinct chapter.

Our position therefore will contain these two particulars: I. That Christ shall then at least appear visibly in person, more or less. II. That the saints under him shall sensibly, and properly, reign over the whole earth. In order to establish these we shall bring forward a few different passages of Scripture; not in the order in which they occur, but so placed, as that they may best throw light on one another.

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Zechariah xii, 10.

And I will pour out upon

the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplication, and they shall look on him whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him (or concerning him) as one mourn"eth for his only son; and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born."

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It is evident from John xix, 37, (where this place is quoted,) as also from Acts ii, that there was a handful of first-fruits (so called Rom. xi, 16,) that truly then mourned for him whom they had pierced. Acts ii. likewise shews, that there was also some effusion of the Spirit; but that again (accord

The

Every word almost of this text intimates, that this coming is meant of a time after his ascension, and yet before the ultimate day of doom. "Behold! He cometh"-implies a future thing, now, after his ascension; and some eminent coming. "He cometh with clouds," that is, in the clouds ; as the Greeks in the same manner say, a man WITH armour, for a man IN armour. meaning doubtless is, that this coming of Christ shall not be so obscure as at his incarnation, or as his coming among the disciples after his resurrection; but he shall come conspicuous and gloriously visible to all upon the earth. His people now see him with the eye of faith; but they do not behold him visibly then however "every eye shall see him :" which must needs signify more than a sight by faith: for faith and sight are so distinct, that the Apostle makes them opposite. It is questionable, whether every eye, that is said here to see him, shall first see him by faith: for every eye must see him, and all kindreds of the earth shall mourn. Surely his enemies, whom he destroys at his coming, shall not see him by faith!

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Even so, amen.”—John did certainly see Christ by faith; and yet he prays for that sight of him in the clouds, and raises up his faith with a hearty Amen.

On the other hand this text cannot be understood of the ultimate day of judgement: First, because it is the same with Zech. i, 10; and therefore the same reasons prevail, which are noticed under that head. Secondly, because this is set here, as the main and general proposition to the Book of the Revelation; of which the subject therefore is, to set forth Christ to come, and set up his Church into a most glorious estate on earth, before the day of judgement, (as we have seen abundantly,) and to make her reign with him on earth. Thirdly, it were very incongruous for John, in the last clause of verse 6, to applaud Christ's dominion as to continue for ever, (that is, while times and ages last, as the Greek imports,) and in the first clause of the next verse to say, he cometh to make an end of his dominion. For the ultimate day of judgement is the last act of Christ's dominion; which he then lays down, that God may be all in all.t Thus then observe, that Zechariah and John both prophesied in the aforesaid places of one and the same personal appearance

r 1 Pet. i, 8. s 2 Cor. v. 7, and Heb. xi.

1 Cor. xv. 24, 28.

of Christ. This, from the whole tenor and time of the vision to John, must be subsequent to his ascension: but it cannot be understood of the ultimate general judgement, because they both speak of his pouring out grace on, and giving repentance to, the families of the Jews, and of his dominion, to continue thence for many ages. Therefore the said visible appearance of Christ is yet to be before the ultimate day of judgement.

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Matthew xxiv, 30.

"And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall "see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power, "and great glory."

Observe distinctly every clause and word. appear the sign of the Son of Man;" that is, the

1st," Then shall Son of Man shall

appear for a sign that great things are at hand; as it follows, they shall see the Son of Man, &c." 2nd, "The sign of the Son of Man in heaven:" he was before in the highest third heaven, but now in the lowest first heaven, namely of the "clouds," as it also follows in this verse. 3rd, And then shall all the tribes of the earth (intimating Jews as well as Gentiles) mourn:" Why? They shall see the Son of Man; that is, as man. And how mourn ?-Doubtless, according to Zechariah and John, the the Jews with godly repentance; and his obstinate enemies with desperation for the ruin that is coming upon them. 4th, Coming in the clouds," or upon the clouds: from which John's meaning is proved when he said, Christ should come "with clouds."

Now Christ spake this before his ascension and going away above the clouds, and after he had come in the flesh. Therefore it must needs be fulfilled after he hath so ascended above the clouds; for then, and not till then, will it be rightly said and properly fulfilled, that he comes in the clouds.

Nor can this coming and appearance in the clouds be here understood of the ultimate day of judgement, because of that which Christ afterwards affirmeth, "Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled.” (v. 34.) And then he seals and binds it up in the next verse, viz. “heaven